2020-21 Budget

2020-21 Budget

Voters approve 2020-21 budget

Central Valley School District officials counted the ballots on Tuesday, June 16. The community approved the district’s proposed 2020-21 school budget. The budget passed with 92.5 percent in favor. The margin exceeded the 60 percent required for passage.

The $$50,476,332 budget decreases spending 2.84 percent or $1,472,852  over the current year and carries no tax levy increase.

The final count was:

  • Yes— 754

  • No— 61

Voters also elected Jon Boucher and Travis Costin to the Board of Education. The final count for each candidate was:

  • Travis Costin (708)

  • Jon Boucher (700)

  • Ralph Hale

  • Joanne Moore

  • Terri Lee Bala (2)

  • Bernie Sanders

  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

  • Don Peterson

  • Craig Morse

  • Steve Coupe

  • Fred Schell

  • Jamison Hayes

  • Frank Kucerak

“I want to thank the community for their patience and support throughout this process,” said Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Rich.

“We did our best to be transparent as we worked to comply with the guidance coming from the state. It wasn’t perfect, but thanks to many who pitched in, it went smoothly.”

Per Gov. Cuomo’s order, this year’s vote was conducted by absentee ballot only. Central Valley CSD mailed a post card in early May explaining the change, the fact that anyone who voted in prior four school votes would automatically receive a ballot, and how to request a ballot if needed.
BOE adopts 2020-21 proposed budget

The Central Valley CSD Board of Education adopted the district’s proposed 2020-21 school budget at its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 20.

The proposed $50,476,332 budget would decrease spending 2.84 percent or $1,472,852 from the current year. This would result in no tax levy increase. Despite the decrease in spending and no increase in the tax levy, the proposed levy is greater than the district’s tax levy limit and will require a 60-percent majority for approval.

Residents will vote by absentee ballot only on the budget and elect two members to the board education on Tuesday, June 9. Pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order No. 202.23, issued May 1, 2020, voting on school district budget and board of education election will be by the distribution and return of absentee ballots only.

Central Valley CSD mailed an absentee voting packet to every person who voted in the past four school votes. If you did not receive a ballot, please contact District Clerk Marsha Griffith at 315-894-9934 or mgriffith@cvalleycsd.org. Follow the instructions for filling out and returning the ballot. Note that ballots must be returned no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9.

To be eligible to vote, you must be a US citizen, 18 years of age or older, a district resident for at least 30 days prior to the vote, and not disqualified by any reason set forth in NYS Election Law §5-106.

View the budget brochure with budget details.

Funding shortfall

“We are facing the perfect storm,” said Superintendent Jeremy Rich.

“Multiple factors, including the economic impact of COVID-19, have combined to make this the most difficult budget we have faced since before the merger. It is forcing us to make difficult and painful decisions.”

Those painful decisions include:

  • Not replacing 10 retiring teachers,

  • Eliminating five additional teaching or support positions,

  • Laying off two teachers,

  • Reducing facilities purchases,

  • Delaying the purchase of a new bus, and

  • Cutting some programs and clubs.

School Business Administrator James Humphrey said, “We planned for the yearly loss of $440,000 in merger incentive aid, but we never dreamed we would deal with the fallout from a worldwide pandemic.”

Central Valley will see a decline in basic foundation aid as the result of New York State’s projected loss of more than $10 billion in tax revenue. School aid could fall further based on the state’s actual tax revenues.

“We are waiting to see updated 2019-20 aid runs—the breakdown of expected aid for the current year,” he said.

“We built a budget based on promised aid, but the state is going to cut that amount. We are frustrated, but we cannot argue with the fact that our economy is stalled. The state doesn’t have the money to meet its obligations.”

No increase in the tax levy

Despite increasing costs and a loss of aid, the budget does not increase the tax levy (the total amount of taxes the district collects).

“We were able to reduce expenditures and use some of our reserves to keep the tax levy unchanged,” said Humphrey.

“We held the levy at $8.6 million for the third year in a row. And yet, because of the formula used to calculate the levy limit, this budget will require a super-majority of 60 percent to pass.”

Humphrey said that the district has presented budgets that accurately reflect the district’s finances.

“We felt a responsibility to our taxpayers to control taxes and to avoid any major increases. We often went out below our levy limit. If we had sought the levy limit each year, most people’s tax bills would be about 10 percent higher than they are right now, ” he said.

Budget Hearing on June 2

Residents can learn more at the Central Valley Board of Education’s annual Budget Hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2. In accordance with current COVID-19 restrictions, this meeting will be open virtually to the public.

To join the meeting:

(Key numbers – 2020-21 budget

  • Total spending—$50,476,332; down 2.847 percent or $1,472,852 compared to the current year

  • Tax levy—$8,600,000; increase of $0 or 0.0 percent

  • Board of education election—two candidates vying for two seats. Jon Boucher and Travis Costin will appear on the ballot in that order.

All voting will be by absentee ballot

Residents will vote by absentee ballot only on the budget and elect two members of the board education on Tuesday, June 9. Pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order No. 202.23, issued May 1, 2020, voting on school district budget and board of education election will be by the distribution and return of absentee ballots only.

Central Valley CSD mailed an absentee voting packet to every person who voted in the past four school votes. If you did not receive a ballot, please contact District Clerk Marsha Griffith at 315-894-9934 or mgriffith@cvalleycsd.org. Follow the instructions for filling out and returning the ballot. Note that ballots must be returned no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9.

To be eligible to vote, you must be a US citizen, 18 years of age or older a district resident for at least 30 days prior to the vote, and not disqualified by any reason set forth in NYS Election Law §5-106.

Mark your calendar to return ballots by June 9

All ballots must arrive at the district office no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9. You may:

  • Drop them off in person or

  • Mail them early to arrive by the deadline

Required budget information

Required budget information online—New York State law requires that school districts post certain budget information online for the public to review. Below find PDFs of each required report. If you have any trouble accessing the information in the PDFs, please contact the district business office at 315-894-5000, press 6. Copies are also available from the district office.